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Shopping for gifts for RVers can be challenging. We’ve created an eclectic list of things that weight and power-conscious RVers—in other words, most RVers—will use and appreciate.
Everything we’re adding to the list we own and use and recommend based on our experience. A few links we’ll provide are to items like ours but not the same make and model.
By the way, we’re saving the best for last! Check out number 11.
We know you’re—that is, Santa is—busy, so we’ll get right to it.
Katchy Indoor Insect Trap. This currently $35 item is nearly silent and uses low power. It attracts bugs with dim light, sucks them in with a fan and then traps them on sticky paper. It can operate off USB power; you could power it with your USB backup battery, even in a tent! We love that it works so well and draws so little energy out of our solar-powered battery.
Kindle Fire. Devin’s been using his 7-inch Kindle Fire for nearly a decade. He loves having it on camping trips. Lightweight and drawing little power, he can use it for hours to read, surf the web, check Twitter, watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and so much more. The new 8-inch model has an HD screen, more storage and a faster processor, all for just $55 (at the moment).
Small USB Desk Fan. This little guy is mostly about saving energy by avoiding the use of the air conditioner. There are times when it is just too hot to rely on a fan alone, but when temps are in the upper 70s at night, a little breeze can be just enough relief to save power and the noise of the air conditioner. You may want one of these $15 items for everyone in the RV to have their own!
Electric Blanket. Based in Florida, we’re not doing any cold-weather camping. On cool evenings, we use electric blankets to stay warm rather than using a space heater. Blankets use much less power than a furnace of any sort and, in mild weather, can keep you comfy-cozy while sleeping. When you’re in the rig when it’s cold in the daytime, using it as a lap blanket can make the chill tolerable.
Collapsible Storage Bins. We bought these bins because they fit perfectly into some of the cupboards in our trailer. We love them because they collapse into a tiny fraction of their volume for storing them when we’re not using them.
National Park Annual Pass. We’re glad we qualify for the senior lifetime pass. For years before we did, we bought annual passes. They make great gifts. (The NPS doesn’t allow gifting for the senior pass.)
50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do. This isn’t just a great reference book for planning trips but is readable, cover to cover! We’re excited to use it for planning our 2023 trips.
VacLife Handheld Vacuum. We bought this to help us clean up the RV after working on it. We’ve loved it for that purpose, but also for use in the car and even in some spots in the house we can’t reach with a conventional vacuum. It is excellent for quick cleanups anywhere!
Ozark-Trail Folding Wagon. You see folding wagons everywhere. Once we got one, we figured out why. They are unbeatable for hauling stuff. You'll want one if you ever need to transport anything while camping! (We found a much better deal at Walmart.)
GOOLOO Foldable 100W Solar Panel. You know, we’re all about the solar panels. We’ve got 500 Watts of solar on our tiny RV. We love it. This portable solar panel is a great introduction to solar for folks who don’t have any. It pairs well with item number 11.
Portable Power Jump Starter. We received our unit as a gift. We use it all the time. We use it on every single RV trip. It has saved our bacon a few times! We won’t camp without it. We couldn’t find our unit online, but we did find this Dewalt unit with all the same features.
Those are our gift ideas for 2022. If you have gift ideas, please share them in the comments. Let’s help each other find great gifts!
The holidays are rich with meaning and significance for all of us. Giving the perfect gift is a great way to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.
You mean the world to us. We send our love. Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Blessed Kwanza! We wish you a wonderful New Year’s celebration and a prosperous 2023.
Our 2022 Can't-Miss Holiday Gift Guide for RVers